Summit of the Americas: Cuba Issue Splits Canada, U.S. From Unified Latin America

CP
|
By Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press

Posted:
04/15/2012 4:05 am EDT
Updated:
06/14/2012 5:12 am EDT

Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to the Summit of the Americas with the goal of bolstering ties with the booming region, but left Sunday on a discordant note because of his government's stance on Cuba's participation. (ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) | AFP/Getty Images

CARTAGENA, Colombia - Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to the Summit of the Americas with the goal of bolstering ties with the booming region, but left Sunday on a discordant note because of his government's stance on Cuba's participation.

Canada and the United States stood alone in balking at an agreement to allow Cuba to attend future summits. That disagreement, and a lack of consensus on backing Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, scuppered a final declaration from the 31 participating nations.

Even the summit host, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, declared it to be "unacceptable" that Cuba not attend the next meeting three years from now. Other major players such as Argentina and Brazil have echoed the sentiment.

Harper emphasized that Canada has reached out to Cuba, and does not agree with the American embargo of the country. But he said Canada is sticking with the summit principles that state that members must be democracies — an idea that originated under Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien during the Quebec City summit of 2001.

"While we don't support the position of isolating Cuba, we do believe that the summit of the Americas should be restricted to democratic countries, and that Cuba should be encouraged to come as a democratic country in the future...and it's our contention that the Canadian policy is the way to get that kind of result rather than the policy pursued by our American friends," Harper told reporters.

Harper added that he viewed the issue as one of principle.

"I think we've taken a principled position, and when we take principled positions we're prepared to argue that and discuss them but obviously we don't have our positions dictated either by one country or frankly by any group of countries," he said.

What happens next is unclear. Santos said there would be a discussion on Cuba's participation at the summit three years from now, scheduled for Panama.

This year's summit was characterized by a new sense of unity and solidarity amongst Latin American countries, many of whom are seeing rapid economic growth and more geo-political clout. Santos pointedly spoke at his closing news conference about the desire for all countries to be treated as equals — a nod to the weight the United States has thrown around the region in the past.

Mark Entwistle, a former Canadian ambassador to Cuba, said the issue is not always what it seems.

"It's a bit of a hemispheric dance here...it's really less about Cuba per se for the Latin Americans, and it's more about using Cuba as a messaging board especially by the robust regional powers like Brazil and Mexico," said Entwistle, who still travels regularly to Cuba.

"It's using the Cuba coding or the Cuba item as a means of sending a message, particularly to the United States, that their views have to be taken seriously and that they're major regional players."

There's also the matter of a certain regional inconsistencies, notes Carlo Dade, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa's School of International Development and Global Studies.

The expert notes that there would have been an uproar if, for example, Honduras had been allowed to attend a summit immediately following its 2009 coup d'etat. He also points out that it was Santos himself who travelled to Havana to gently tell president Raul Castro not to come.

"This is about preserving the gains in democracy in the hemisphere," said Dade.

Harper underlined that while the Cuba issue might have caused summit divisions, it does not have a bearing on Canada's one-on-one relations.

"In my experience this has not been a...significant issue with any other nation in the hemisphere, certainly not with those with whom we have productive trade and investment relations," Harper said.

Hemispheric leaders did agree, however, to spark a formal discussion the wider issue of the war on drugs and how to deal with the crippling violence in Mexico and Central America.

For the first time, Harper said that something is not working with the current approach and that a discussion is warranted.

Harper's main goal at the summit has been to promote Canada as a destination for trade and investment, and to support Canadian businesses as they seek new opportunities in the region.

The Conservative government is trying to revitalize its five-year-old Americas Strategy, a policy of focused engagement in the region.

But Harper's presence at this year's summit was modest. He had only a handful of bilateral meetings, and did not meet with the leaders of some of the biggest countries such as Brazil and Argentina.

A planned summit between Canadian and Brazilian CEOs fell through, with the Brazilians failing to organize their end of the bargain, according to sources.

Still, some of the Canadian executives who participated in a larger CEO Summit of the Americas said they are seeing plenty of opportunities in the region. The Port of Halifax, for example, is seeing new money to be made with the widening of the Panama Canal and potential new container ship traffic up the Atlantic Coast.

"I think the Canadian brand right now is very, very strong," said Port president Karen Oldfield.

"We do a lot of things extremely well. I think the expression is 'Make hay while the sun shines,' and the sun is shining and we need to do what we can do grow and promote trade."

John Manley, president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, said Canada's presence in the region is sometimes understated. He noted Canada's heavy involvement in mining projects, but also less visible activities such as real estate ventures that don't always appear in trade statistics.

"When we just focus on the trade and goods, we don't see how important having Canadians abroad can be," Manley said.

Meanwhile, any discussion of Canada's engagement with Latin American society, development projects and of efforts to bolster human rights was largely absent from Harper's agenda. Although there were summit forums on indigenous peoples, youth and labour, there was no acknowledgment of them by Canadian officials. Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, did not speak to the media about her participation at the meetings.

Raul Burbano of Toronto-based Common Frontiers said that while Harper was extolling the virtues of Canadian mining companies and the prosperity they can bring, many Latin American civil society groups had a completely different message.

"They don't want transnational corporations and large-scale mining that can lead to displacement, militarization, contamination...they want to decide whether there's transnational companies in their communities," said Burbano.

Harper was scheduled to leave Colombia Sunday for Santiago, Chile, where he was to begin a bilateral visit.

Also on The Huffington Post

Close



Canada Budget 2012 Highlights

of





The government is calling the budget a plan for Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity.
"In this budget, our Government is looking ahead not only over the next few years but also over the next generation," said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. "The reforms we present today are substantial, responsible and necessary. They will ensure that all across government we are focused on enabling and sustaining Canada's long-term economic growth."
However, while the budget does include many investments, it also make a number of cuts and changes that will save money. Here are some of the highlights.
(File photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

The government is cutting spending by $5.2 billion on an ongoing basis, but it says it will not reach that total until 2014-2015.
Ottawa says 70 per cent of these savings will come from "operational efficiencies."
The planned reduction in spending is expected to result in the elimination of 19,200 public service jobs over a three-year period, 4.8 per cent of total federal employment. The government expects 7,200 of those positions to be eliminated through attrition. Six hundred executives positions are expected to be slashed.
Roughly $900 million will be spent making these job cuts, on things such as severance and benefits.
After 2014-2015, the public service cuts will save the federal government $5.23 billion per year.

The government is cutting the budget of Canada's national broadcaster by $115 million per year by 2014-2015. Currently, the CBC's total budget stands at roughly $1.1 billion per year, making for a cut of roughly 10 per cent.

The federal government is eliminating the penny.
But prices won't necessarily be rounded. The cent will continue to be the smallest unit of sale and non-cash transactions, such as spending done with credit cards, will continue to be settled to the nearest cent.
Existing pennies will continue to be legal tender for an indefinite period of time, but the Mint will stop producing new ones and distribution will cease in Fall 2012.
If no pennies are available for a cash transaction, it will be rounded to the nearest five cent increment after GST/HST.
The government says it currently costs 1.6 cent to manufacture a penny and that supplying them to the economy costs $11 million per year.
(CP photo)

The government says it has no intention of building any new prisons, despite the passage of the omnibus crime bill that some experts suggests will increase the number of people incarcerated. The Tories plan to slash $295 million from Corrections Canada by 2014-2015.
The RCMP will also receive major cuts, $195.2 million by 2014-2015.
But the government will spend $9.6 million over three years to combat counterfeiting.

The government is moving to alter the current process for the environmental assessment of resource-based projects.
It plans to move to one review for one project and to give these reviews a definite deadline. The change will affect the Northern Gateway pipeline. Additionally, the government wants to focus resources on reviewing the largest plans with the greatest potential for environmental impact. The federal government says it will do this while continuing to protect the environment.
The government says this change is aimed at simplifying a complex system of reviews that imposes costly delays and deters investment.
Canada's first near-urban national park will also be declared in the Rouge Valley in suburban Toronto.
Other highlights include:
- By 2014-2015, Environment Canada's budget will be reduced by $53.8 million per year.
- $50 million will be spent over two years to protect species at risk.

The government is increasing the eligibility age for receiving Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income from 65 to 67.
The change will be made starting on April 1, 2023 and will be fully implemented by January 2029.
The government will also allow individuals to choose to defer payment for a maximum of five years starting in July 2013.
If a person does defer, they will receive a larger adjusted pension than if they had begun collecting at 65.
The government says it is making the changes primarily due to demographic shifts. The pending retirement of the Baby Boomers will increase the total cost of the program from $38 billion in 2011 to $108 billion in 2030.

The feds are planning to reduce Health Canada's budget by nearly $310 million per year by 2014-2015.
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada will consolidate many services, reducing what the government calls duplication, in order to achieve some of these savings.
The government will also eliminate Assisted Human Reproduction, a group involved in the study of potential uses for stem cells.
They also propose:
- Expanding GST/HST and income tax breaks for health care services.
- $51.2 million over two years to improve food safety.
(Alamy photo)

The government is making an investment of more than $1 billion in science and technology.
Canada currently lags behind other similar economies in terms of private sector investment in R&D and overall innovation, according to the government.
Here are a few highlights of the spending:
- $400 million to help increase venture capital investment by businesses.
- $100 million for the Business Development Bank Of Canada for venture capital investment.
- $110 million per year for the Industrial Research Assistance Program.
- $105 million over two years help pay for innovation in the forestry sector.
- $500 million over five years for the Canada Foundation for Innovations to pay for new competitions. Funding will start in 2014-15.

The government will revamp the immigration system by killing a backlog of 300,000 skilled foreign worker applicants by sending them their money and applications back. Up to $130 million will be spent refunding fees to skilled worker applicants who paid under outdated criteria.
The feds are planning to improve the system for the recognition of foreign credentials
The government will move to ensure businesses first look to domestic sources of labour before using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that the budget will kill a backlog of 460,000 skilled foreign worker applicants by sending them their money back. The actual number is 300,000.
(pwenzel on Flickr)

The budget will implement the Beyond the Border security pact with the United States (The Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness and the Action Plan On Regulatory Cooperation).
But the coming changes don't mean the Canada Borders Service Agency will escape cuts. The department's budget will be reduced by $143.4 million by 2014-2015
It will also seek to streamline for the process of bringing goods home from abroad by increasing the dollar amount exempted from tariffs for travellers.
(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

The budget seeks to continue the government's work to expand Canada's international trading relationships.
"Our government is undertaking the most ambitious trade expansion plan in Canadian history," said Flaherty.
In his speech, Flaherty also signals that, while the U.S. will remain our largest trading partner, Canada needs to open its export economy to emerging economies. China, India and the Trans-Pacific Partnership are mentioned by name.
However, there will be cuts.
The International Assistance Envelope, which includes the Canadian International Development Agency, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the International Development Research Centre the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Natural Resources Canada, will be cut by $377.6 million by 2014-2015.
Most of that money will come from The Canadian International Development Agency -- $319.2 million.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada will be cut by $29.1 million.
The federal government also plans to find $80 million in saving by selling official residences abroad.
(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Prime Minister Stephen Harper March 2, 2012 in Ottawa -- Amos Ben Gershom/GPO via Getty Images)

The budget touts the government's progress in modernizing the Canadian Forces through major investment. However, the Defence budget is about to fall substantially.
Some of this reduction will come from improvements in efficiency, but much will come from the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan.
The cuts will amount to roughly $1.12 billion by 2014-2015. According to Armine Yalnizyan, of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, these cuts are over and above the roughly half a billion announced during a previous round of strategic review.
The size of the military will not shrink but it won't grow either. The regular Canadian Forces will remain at 68,000 members and the reserve force at 27,000.
Veterans Affairs will also be on the receiving end of cuts - $66.7 million by 2014-2015.
The budget will also provide $5.2 billion for the Coast Guard over the next 11 years.
(Canadian soldiers prepare to leave Kandahar military base in southern Afghanistan on July 17, 2011 -- ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images)

The government is eliminating the Trudeau-era youth program Katimavik, as The Huffington Post Canada first reported.
The federal government says the program benefits a very small number at an excessive cost per person.
(CP photo)

The budget reduces spending on Fisheries and Oceans by $79.3 million by 2014-2015
The department will undergo a substantial restructuring. Services will be consolidated and the size of its motor vehicle fleet will be cut. It will also focus less on research, relying more on academia.
(AFP/Getty Images)

The government will spend $275 million over three years on First Nations education.
The money is budgeted for the building and renovation of schools on reserves.
Ottawa is also set to spend $27 million over two years on the Urban Aboriginal Strategy.
$330.8 million will also be provided over two years to build and expand water infrastructure on reserves.
(CP)

Coming changes to MP Pensions are not outlined in the budget. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the changes he wants to make, increasing pension contributions by the MPs themselves and raising the age of eligibility will have to be discussed.
(Alamy photo)

The government is making a number of changes to Employment Insurance (EI) it says are aimed at creating a more efficient program.
-$387 million over two years for matching benefit amounts to wages in different local labour markets. Depending on the unemployment rate in the region, claimants will need between 14 and 22 weeks to qualify for EI.
-$74 million over two years to help make sure claimants benefit from getting a job. EI claimants will be able to keep 50 per cent of their earnings without getting their benefits clawed back.
- Limiting premium increases to no more than 5 cents per year.
- $21 million over two years to improve the content and timeliness of information provided to job seekers.
(Alamy photo)